Lorazepam and Insomnia: What Users Say

• ins...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2020

Lorazepam for Insomnia "Ativan ruined my life. My psychiatrist prescribed me 2mg to take every night while trying out an antidepressant. After about 7 weeks, I was addicted to Ativan, and when I tried to stop taking it, I had seizures and panic attacks. I had to keep taking it to stabilize. Then I had to switch to Valium and slowly taper off the benzodiazepines to avoid another seizure. It took me a year and a half to taper off, and I now have chronic fear, anxiety, tinnitus, and insomnia. I wish I never touched this drug."

• EJK...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

Lorazepam for Anxiety "Yes, it will stop panic attacks, but good luck coming off it. I was having severe anxiety after a bad spell of taking Lexapro, which made my anxiety worse and gave me constant panic attacks, so my doctor had me taking 0.5 mg three times a day. I was so grateful to have some relief that I didn't question the dose, but the more I read about dependence, the more nervous I became. I started tapering off it after only a month, and I thought I was going to die. Hallucinating, insomnia where I didn't sleep for days, couldn't keep down solid food, crippling depression, and agoraphobia... it was a nightmare, and I was contemplating checking into a hospital. I eventually transitioned to buspirone and eventually Pristiq. Such a nightmare. I can't recommend Ativan to anyone who may be sensitive to benzos."

• Do...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2017

Lorazepam for Anxiety "My husband was 38 years old and committed suicide while taking Ativan. This medication was administered to him from two different psychiatrists. Ativan was prescribed for his anxiety. He took it in combination with Welbutrin for his depression. He was on Ativan for approximately three months. The medication made his heart race because of the lethal combination mixing with Welbutrin for his depression. He became manic, paranoid, and had extreme body tremors, insomnia, and many trips to the Emergency Room from side effects. This company knows it can cause suicide and writes it on the label. Do not take it."

• Ben...
• July 5, 2017

Lorazepam for Anxiety "You would have to be crazy to take Ativan. I took 1-2 mg 2x a day for 6 months and had withdrawal symptoms for almost 4 years after stopping over a 2-week period per my doctor. If you think your life is bad before taking Ativan, just wait until you experience the withdrawal and aftereffects of this poison. After 2 years, I still had vibrating, hypersensitive vision and hearing. Burning in your nerves, especially in your feet. Forget sleep, all you do is lie in bed awake for me, almost 2 years dreaming while awake. That part was the most torturous part of the med. The FDA needs to remove Ativan from FDA approval immediately."

• Ben...
• July 6, 2016

For Insomnia "DO NOT take benzos for insomnia - they work great, until you reach tolerance, and then you go into full withdrawal unless you up the dose considerably. By then you probably will have already found the dirty underside of this terrible drug, which is agoraphobia, brutal insomnia, loss of motivation and stunning depression. Next, you'll find out that you cannot withdraw from this drug in a reasonable manner, and the required tapering-off methods could take years. During withdrawal you will have the worst insomnia imaginable, for months on end, and nothing will relieve it, except more benzos than any doctor will prescribe. Don't even start on this evil drug. If you think this is an overreaction, Google 'benzodiazepine withdrawal'."

• Jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2016

For Insomnia "In an hour, I felt speedy. I was up all night, like I had a late cup of coffee. Three weeks later, I tried it again. Speedy, jittery, all night, no sleep."

• Mol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2015

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I took lorazepam for 19 days at .5 mg as needed. I was taking them in the afternoon around 4:30. The doctor only gave me 20 pills for anxiety and sent me home. While taking them, I was feeling even worse, I couldn't sleep, I would wake up shaking and scared, and couldn't eat until I took the pill. I decided to stop taking them because I was getting more anxiety and wired thoughts and was shaking all day. So, I quit cold turkey - I didn't know I was to taper off. On the second day of not taking it, I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, walking around feeling like I'm going crazy, a lot of anxiety attacks and panic attacks. I don't feel joy or happiness. The only thing I could think of is I'm having withdrawals. I stopped taking it on December 9, 2015, it is now December 29, 2015."

• Hat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2015

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I took 0.5 mg Ativan 2 times a day for 14 days. I noticed I wasn't getting the same anti-anxiety effect, so I decided to stop taking it. I figured it had only been 2 weeks, so stopping should not have been a problem. I then proceeded into 11 days of HELL. The first 2 days were not too bad, but every day progressively got worse. The insomnia was the worst. I got to the point where I would dread the night. And then the nightmares started. They were horribly dark. I thought I was going to die. I finally would take 0.5 mg every other or every third night just to get some sleep. It took me months to find a doctor who understood how to get off the Ativan. I'm now on a 2.5% taper (40 weeks). I'm on week 9. Not fun. DO NOT TAKE IT."

• mit...
• December 14, 2019

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I literally took one dose of 1.5 mg of lorazepam after being prescribed the drug for panic attacks and anxiety. It worked for the panic attack, but since that first dose I haven't slept in 3 days. Reflecting on it now, I would have rather just gone through the full-on panic attack. This drug is no joke."

• SAm...
• July 30, 2018

Lorazepam for Panic Disorder "I was prescribed Ativan sublingual 0.5 mg as needed for panic attacks. It did not do anything for me, usually, my panic attacks come at night while I'm sleeping. So I tried it, and honestly, it didn't do anything, and on top of that, I couldn't sleep after taking it."

• moa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2018

For Sedation "Works okay for sleep, but did nothing for psychotic agitation for me. I refused it, but unfortunately, I was under a section, so they injected me. Three hours later, I'm still wide awake."

• fox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2016

For Anxiety "WITHDRAWAL HELL! I was prescribed this medication after extreme anxiety that was not getting better with citalopram. I was only given 2 by GP (I am in the UK), and then it worked so well on my anxiety I went back for more. They shouldn't have prescribed me 2 months' worth because when I was told I wasn't allowed anymore, my body went into meltdown. Over three weeks later, I'm still suffering from the withdrawal symptoms: severe anxiety, insomnia, spaced out feeling, double vision, tremors, sweating, auditory hallucinations! Awful, awful, awful. It may seem great when it's helping you, but when you stop, be prepared to give up your life... This has been the worst time of my life, hands down, and I'm three weeks on and only marginally better."

• Ana...
• February 25, 2020

For Insomnia "My experience is for the lack of quality in the drug. I take 2 mg every night. Usually, that works, but tonight and yesterday, nothing. It's like the ones I have got now are fake. So I take a chip or half a second one. Still, nothing. I'm touchy about using this too much, so it's not a habit, it's the quality. Why does it have to be so hard to get a decent working medication? I won't continue to get this brand. I encourage others to stand up for yourself, if it doesn't work, it's because it's a bad drug. It's effective when you are actually getting the real deal. I really have insomnia, now I'm back up."

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2019

For Insomnia "It works well... but getting off makes the original insomnia much worse, plus more. I was battling chronic pain and insomnia and prescribed this for 2 weeks, 2 to 3 days in a row max. Day 1, 1 mg gave me 7 hrs of great sleep. Day 2, thought I'd wind down slowly, 1/2 mg, 6-7 hrs, then 1/4 tablet I only got 2 1/2 hrs... even less than the 4 to 5 broken hours I was getting prior. I worked back to 4 to 5 hrs, then a few days later developed dissociation and anxiety. Worked through that, back on pills to combat pain and sleep. Then got hit with depression. It wasn't until it was too late I realized there was a pattern... 3 to 4 days after each time I stopped... that's when side effects are at the worst. Then I was screwed, cycled through various alternatives which made things worse and had to start taking Lorazepam daily as I could only sleep for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs a night by that point. Then finally, over a month I started paroxetine and CBT and I slowly weaned myself off. Stay away, especially if prone to anxiety or depression."

• mus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2022

For Anxiety "So I was in a bad car accident back in July of 2021. I still am not back to my normal self due to the memory loss, lack of sleep, and overall issues with basic life tasks. It's been causing me major anxiety, frustration, and every emotion under the sun. My doctor put me on lorazepam for 10 days, ten days only to help sleep. My doctor didn't want me to stay on it because this can be an addictive drug. I didn't think it was an issue. It did what it was supposed to do. It was 0.5 mg and it did help me sleep. The first night I took it, I noticed a lot of heavy chest deep breathing, but the other 10 days I was fine. It was the withdrawal for me, which is why I do not recommend it. I do not drink, smoke, or do drugs. I do not have an addictive personality. The first day off of this thing, I cried and cried and cried. So emotional. The littlest things bothered me. I was shaky and irritable. I took everything out on everyone else. I would much rather take something else."

• New...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2018

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I was prescribed this to take prior to an MRI. I had been taking Klonopin for my anxiety, which is more slow-acting, so I thought I would try this. It immediately calmed me down before the MRI, and I felt good after. I spoke with my PCP about trying this instead of Klonopin, and she was okay with that at 1 mg twice a day as needed. The first week was fine, and then during week two, I was having a lot of panic attacks, chest tightness, and insomnia. I suffer from MS, so I'm never sure what is MS-related or anxiety-caused problems. I have decided to go back to the Klonopin. It doesn't kick in as fast but lasts much longer, and I feel much better on it."

• Rid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2018

For Insomnia "This is my second night. My Dr. prescribed me 1 mg, but it didn't seem to work. So then he said to increase to 2 mg. I had a good night's sleep on the 1st night at 2 mg. But on the second night, after 2 pills of 1 mg, I am still wide awake."

• Pau...
• December 28, 2016

For Anxiety "I've been taking Cipralex 20 mg in the morning and 15 mg Remeron at night and would take from 0.5 mg to 1 mg of lorazepam in the morning as this is when my anxiety is worst. Since my anxiety was not improving, I decided to get off the Remeron to reduce the serotonin. Remeron was great for helping me sleep, but the withdrawal was awful. I decided to use lorazepam to help me sleep, which worked well for a while. Without the Remeron, my morning anxiety became better, and I started to have better days. This only lasted about a week. Pretty soon, I was having sleeping problems, and the lorazepam didn't help my daily anxiety either, and in fact, at times I felt worse. This is the downfall of lorazepam. You build up a tolerance and have to increase the dose."

• Dow...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 24, 2021

Lorazepam for Insomnia "I have had severe insomnia for over a decade. I’ve always been a light sleeper, but the past 8-9 years have been horrid. I am 48 years old. Have been prescribed every drug under the sun. After years of horrible sleep, I now have severe anxiety. I have had to go on short-term disability 3 times in 5 years. I usually hinged my insomnia and anxiety on work stress. I was assigned a new project that was very high profile, and I started not sleeping for days on end. I went to the doctor before things got too bad, I did not want to end up on disability again. He prescribed Ativan. I started taking it, 0.5-1 mg a night. Soon I was taking it every night, then after about 6 months, it stopped working. I ended up in the hospital for a week and quit my job. Ativan works, but you better hope it always does. Now on Seroquel and cannot sleep at all without it. Terrified for my family's future as I am so unstable. I have a wife and 3 kids."

• joh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 31, 2018

For Insomnia "As with all benzos and opiates, this drug was amazing at first. Solved all my problems, then became a big problem. A problem worse than the one I initially had. Trust me, be careful. After a benzo withdrawal, you will be begging for the little bit of insomnia that started this in the first place. Whatever you do, do not view this medication or any benzo as a means of maintaining or managing your condition, it's a bandaid, and any long-term use should be done only as a last resort."

• all...
• March 27, 2012

For Anxiety "My psychiatrist has prescribed this medicine for my acute anxiety for years. Rarely did I ever need it while I was on Paxil. About 3 months after I had weaned myself off Paxil, I started having anxiety attacks again, and rather than get back on it, I resorted to taking 1 mg lorazepam as needed for about a month. I got back on Paxil and found discontinuing lorazepam to be moderately difficult. I had some major sleep disturbances, along with elevated anxiety and paranoia. It took me about 3 days at 0.25 mg for these to go away. I recommend this medicine as a supplement to an antidepressant, but not as a stand-alone remedy."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2025

For Insomnia "In 2004, I was leaving work and had my first severe panic attack (although I didn’t know it was that at the time). I was fortunate that my ER nurse immediately recognized what I was experiencing and gave me IV Ativan (lorazepam). My PC physician later prescribed Klonopin (clonazepam). It helped, but after taking it for 18 years, its effectiveness wore off. About 15 months ago, I started having “sleep anxiety” and would go four days, at times, with not even a second of sleep. I saw a psychiatrist, who switched me to Ativan, a faster-acting benzodiazepine, and I’ve been taking that for the past 15 months. It helps me with sleep-onset latency, most of the time, but as we tried to taper me off it, I experienced severe withdrawal (rebound insomnia and debilitating anxiety). Ativan might be ideal for short-term or occasional use, but I don’t recommend taking it every day."

• Ben...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2016

For Anxiety "The withdrawal of this medicine was very close to my image of hell. It was awful and lasted one whole month. Awful. Sweats. Insomnia. Shakes. Hallucinations. Panic. Spaced out. Pain. Depression. Not worth it at all. So sad humans have to experience such pain."

• Nut...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 28, 2023

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I’ve been on this medication for anxiety and anger since 2018, it immediately takes away panic rage and lets me think clearly. However, my psychiatrist took me off cold turkey 9 days ago, and I feel miserable!!! I’m having constant blackouts, anxiety, intense paranoia, rage, no energy at all to even get up and use the bathroom, and insomnia. I’m afraid of feeling like this for years or forever, I don't know how to deal anymore. This is so unreal. I’ve had many crying fits and moments of depression because of this awful feeling. Pros: 10/10 Cons: 0/10"

• Anonymous
• September 4, 2010

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I developed anxiety very fast and didn't know what it was until one day when my heart was beating out of my chest and I started worrying about my life changes. Went to ER twice in a month thought I was going to have a heart attack. I am 25 and I never knew anxiety can be this bad. I started taking Ativan and it's been 4 months now. I started with 2 a day and now I'm taking one a day. It's a great pill not many side effects, a bit disoriented sometimes but I can sleep better and eat more. I am planning on staying on it until my life gets back on track and once everything settles down I will get off of it. Anxiety is a hard thing to deal with on your own. Only if you have it you understand."